Game Notes: DIXIE STATE - PDF | GRAND CANYON - PDF
Live TV: FRIDAY - ESPN+  /  SATURDAY - KCEC-TV (TDS Cable Channel 22)
Live Video: FRIDAY - ESPN+  /  SATURDAY - WAC DIGITAL NETWORK
Live Audio: ESPN RADIO 97.7 FM
Live Stats: vs. GRAND CANYON
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | @DIXIESTATEBBALL | #DixieBlazers | #WeAreONE | #WACmbb | #WAChoops

OPENING TIP: Dixie State (4-5/0-2 WAC) begins a stretch that will see the Trailblazers play nine of their final 13 games of the 2020-21 season at home, starting with a two-game WAC series against former Pacific West Conference rival Grand Canyon (8-3/2-0 WAC) this Friday and Saturday nights. Tip-off both nights inside the Burns Arena is slated for 7 p.m. (MT). 

DIXIE STATE VS. GRAND CANYON: Dixie State is 12-4 all-time in its series vs. Grand Canyon, and has won four of the last five meetings vs. the Lopes overall. However, the two sides have not met since the 2012-13 season, which was GCU's last season in the PacWest before its transition to NCAA Division I status and the program's move to the Western Athletic Conference.
    That season, DSU swept the two-game regular season set (at DSU 71-66, 1/10/13; 65-64 at GCU, 2/2/13), and DSU is 7-1 all-time vs. the Lopes inside the Burns Arena.

DIXIE STATE ON THE AIR: Friday night's game vs. GCU will be WAC Spotlight Game of the Week on ESPN+, with Keric Seegmiller and DSU Associate AD Mike Olson providing the play-by-play and color commentary.
    In addition, all Dixie State Division I home and away games this season will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio 97.7 FM. Devin Dixon will call the play-by-play action for each game this weekend, with Andy Thompson providing color commentary on Friday, and Olson will join the broadcast on Saturday. A live stream of the radio broadcast will also be available at sportsradio977.com.         
    Along with the radio coverage, all DSU home games (except Friday's GCU game) are simulcast on KCEC-TV (TDS Cable Channel 22), with tape-delay rebroadcasts throughout the following week, and streamed live online on the WAC Digital Network. The WDN is also available on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, and Roku TV, while the WDN app is available for iOS in the Apple Store and Android on Google Play.

HI, MY NAME IS ....: After 14 years as a competing member of the NCAA at the Division II level, Dixie State has embarked on its first season transitioning to Division I status as one of two new members (along with Tarleton State) of the Western Athletic Conference.  
    During their 14-year Division II era, the Trailblazers played to a 266-122 (.685) overall record. Dixie State won seven conference regular season championships (6 PacWest, 1 RMAC) and two postseason conference tournament crowns (PacWest 2013/2018).
    In addition, DSU made nine NCAA D-II Basketball Tournament appearances in 11 seasons since 2010, including seven-straight appearances from 2010-16, and advanced all the way to the West Regional final (Sweet 16) in 2011. Dixie State earned its final NCAA Tournament berth last season, but that appearance was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State finally made its long-awaited WAC debut last weekend on the road at UT Rio Grande Valley, however it did not go the way the Trailblazers wanted as they dropped both ends of the two-game road set to the Vaqueros.
    DSU was hampered by cold shooting and 28 turnovers as the Blazers dropped an 82-49 decision in game one last Friday night. Dixie State had a better go of it for most of the second game on Saturday, but the offensive struggles returned in the second half, during which the Trailblazers missed 15 of 17 field goal attempts over the final 11-plus minutes in a 72-65 loss.

573 AND COUNTING: Head Coach Jon Judkins became the first men's coach in Utah collegiate basketball history to reach the 500-win plateau when Dixie State defeated Hawai'i Hilo (81-72) back on January 28, 2017.
    Coach Judkins (573 career wins; .684 W%) is currently second all-time in coaching victories in Utah college basketball history, trailing only legendary University of Utah head women's coach Elaine Elliott, who amassed 582 career wins (582-234) in her 27 seasons on the Utes' sideline.

TRAILBLAZERS PICKED SEVENTH/EIGHTH IN THE WAC: Dixie State was picked to finish seventh by the media and eighth by the coaches in its Western Athletic Conference debut season as the 2020-21 WAC men's basketball preseason polls were released on Oct. 27.
    Three-time defending WAC champion New Mexico State was tabbed as overwhelming favorite to win its fourth-straight conference crown. The Aggies claimed eight of nine first place votes to finish with 64 points in the coaches poll, and collected 10 more first place nods and 150 points in the media poll.
    In fact, the top five spots matched in both polls as Grand Canyon (1 FPV – 52 pts coaches/125 pts media) was voted second overall, followed by UT Rio Grande Valley (45 pts coaches/114 pts media) in third, California Baptist (43 pts coaches/2 FPV – 105 pts media) in fourth, and Seattle U (33 pts coaches/84 pts media) in fifth.
    WAC newcomer Tarleton State (31 pts) wound up sixth in the coaches poll, while Utah Valley (28 pts) was listed in seventh, DSU (20 pts) in eighth and Chicago State (8 pts) in ninth. Rounding out the media poll, UVU finished sixth (74 pts), followed by the Trailblazers (49 pts) in seventh, Tarleton State (46 pts) in eighth, and CSU (18 pts) in ninth.

HOME SWEET HOME: Since joining the NCAA ranks in 2006-07, Dixie State has played to a 138-30 (.821) overall record in the Burns Arena under Head Coach Jon Judkins, including a 3-1 start this year, and a 12-2 mark last season. In fact, DSU has recorded 13-straight home winning season records in 14 years of NCAA competition overall.
    DSU has posted eight 10-plus win seasons during its four-year era, highlighted by a perfect 12-0 record in 2009-10, and 11-1 records in consecutive seasons in 2015-16 and 2016-17.

HOME SWEET HOME, PART 2: Dixie State finished the 2019-20 season ranked second-nationally at the NCAA Division II level in home game attendance. This past season's accomplishment also marked the 11th-straight season overall that the Trailblazer program has closed a season ranked in the top-10 in the nation in home attendance.
    DSU posted the second-highest totals in both average attendance (2,432) and in total attendance (34,043) in 14 total home dates last season, which included a season-high 3,493 fans that saw the Trailblazers defeat Western Colorado back on Jan. 25, 2020.  
    Dixie State also finished sixth among Utah's eight NCAA member institutions in average attendance in 2019-20, behind BYU (189,392/12,626 per game – 15 games), Utah (147,852/10,561 – 14 games), Utah State (138,737/8,671 – 16 games), Weber State (61,610/4,401 – 14 games) and Utah Valley (31,889/2,453 – 13 games). However, DSU did finish well ahead of both Southern Utah (32,651/2,332 – 14 games) and Westminster College (3,389/226 – 15 games).
    Since the 2008-09 season, Dixie State was annually ranked in the top-15 in Division II in home attendance, including second-overall in 2012-13 and 2013-14, and third in the country in 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2018-19 campaigns. DSU was also ranked fourth-overall in 2016-17, fifth in 2014-15, sixth in 2015-16, ninth in 2009-10 and 2017-18, and 14th in 2008-09.

HOW ABOUT WHEN THE BAGS ARE PACKED?: Dixie State is 132-97 (.576) in 229 games away from home in its NCAA era under Coach Judkins, though the Blazers are off to a 1-4 start this year, this after a combined 11-5 record last season (7-5 road; 4-0 neutral). Overall, the Trailblazers have played to a 104-76 record (.577) in true road games, and a 28-21 mark (.571) in neutral site games during Judkins' tenure.
    DSU has won eight or more games away from home in 11 of its previous 14 NCAA campaigns overall, including a program best 15-5 record (10-2 in road contests) in 2010-11.

RELEASE...ROTATION...SPLASH: Dixie State has hit at least one 3-pointer in 98-straight games, which included 12 made treys (12-of-29) in the win vs. Saint Katherine (12/5), and 10 more trifectas (10-of-27) at Denver (12/12). DSU also hit eight 3-pointers in the loss to New Mexico (1/13).  
    In fact, when DSU posted back-to-back games with 10 or more 3FGM vs. SKU/at Denver, it marked just the second time in the program's NCAA era that the Blazers accomplished that feat.
    The first occurrence happened nearly two full seasons ago when DSU hit with a school record-tying 13 treys at Colorado Mesa (1/25/19), which was followed by 10 more 3-pointers the next night at Western Colorado (1/26/19).
    Meanwhile, DSU only reached double figures in 3FGM twice all of last season, highlighted by a season-high 12 3-pointers at Westminster, (2/28/20) and 11 trifectas in the come-from behind win at New Mexico Highlands (12/13/19).
    In all, Dixie State has hit at least one three pointer in 299 of its last 301 games overall, and in 394 of the program's 397 NCAA-era games since the beginning of the 2006-07 season.
    In addition, Dixie State has reached double-figures in made 3-pointers 21 times in its four-year era overall, highlighted by a single-game 3FGM school record of 13 first set at Carroll College on Nov. 11, 2008.

FROM WAY DOWNTOWN...CLANG: While Dixie State was knocking down 12 3-pointers vs. Saint Katherine (12/5), the Trailblazer defense made a little history on the defensive side of things.
    For the FIRST TIME in the program's NCAA era (390th game overall), DSU held a team without a 3-point make as the Firebirds misfired on all 18 of their shots from beyond the arc.
    Prior to the SKU win, the previous 3FGM opponent low was one, which was recorded in consecutive games all the way back in the 2012-13 season at Notre Dame de Namur (1-of-9; 2/16/13) and at home vs. BYU-Hawaii (1-of-10; 2/23/13).

AGAINST NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS: With its 4-3 start to the 2020-21 season, Dixie State is 81-71 (.533) all-time against non-conference opponents in 14-plus seasons of four-year competition. That record includes a 6-2 mark last season, and an 11-14 record in the program's first year of NCAA play (2006-07). Additionally, DSU owns a combined 7-14 postseason record (4-4 PacWest, 1-2 RMAC, 2-8 NCAA).
    DSU has recorded seven winning seasons in non-conference games in its four-year era, including a program-best nine wins in 2010-11 (9-4), eight wins in 2008-09 (8-7), and seven victories in 2012-13 (7-4).

A DECADE OF DOMINANCE: Dixie State closed out the 2010-19 decade as one of the most dominant programs in the NCAA Division II ranks. DSU posted a 208-74 (.737) overall record and captured six Pacific West Conference championships (and two PacWest tournament crowns) over that 10-year span. In addition, the program earned eight NCAA Tournament bids, including seven-straight NCAA postseason appearances from 2010-16.
    Dixie State notched six 20-win seasons in the decade, including a NCAA-era record 23 victories in the 2017-18 season.
    DSU also began the decade with a seven-game winning streak and won 10 of its first 11 games overall to finish that year 15-3 (20-6 overall), while the Trailblazers closed the decade, coincidentally, by winning 10 of its final 11 games over the first two months of the 2019-20 season. 

STOP......THIEF: Dixie State picked off a season high 12 steals and forced an opponent season high 22 turnovers in the win at Denver (12/12). DSU reached double figures in steals eight times last year, including a season best 12 steals against another "Mile High City" opponent in Regis (1/18/20).

BLAZING TRAILS:
* - Junior guard Cameron Gooden has scored in double figures in five of DSU's last seven games, and has led the team in scoring in three of the his last four starts overall.
* - Gooden was DSU's "Iron Man" at Gonzaga (12/29) as he played in a game-high 36 minutes and wound up with a team-high 20 points including three 3-pointers.
* - Gooden paced the Blazers in both games at UTRGV last weekend, including a game-high 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting in game two on Saturday.
* - Gooden enjoyed a breakout game at Denver (12/12), against which he poured in game and career-high 23 points on 7-of-13 from the floor (5-of-9 3FG) to go with three assists and three steals ... Gooden has dished out five assists three times, including five dimes vs. UNM (1/13) to go with a career-high three steals.
* - Sophomore forward Frank Staine has scored in double figures in five of his first eight starts this season, highlighted by a game-high 19 points in the season-opening home win vs. North Dakota (12/2), and a 13-point night with eight rebounds vs. UNM (1/13).
* - Staine has also dished out three or more assists in five starts, including a pair of five-assist outings vs. UND and at Denver (12/12) ... Staine posted his second career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and scored his 300th career point, at SUU (12/17).
* - Junior forward Jacob Nicolds had scored in double figures in four-straight games and in six of his first seven starts before being held scoreless in game one at UTRGV last Friday ... Nicolds shook off that outing a night later when he just missed his career double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds, and he dished out a career-best four assists vs. the Vaqueros on Saturday night.
* - Nicolds tied a career-high with 17 points in his season debut vs. North Dakota (12/2) on his way to WAC Player of the Week honors (12/7) ... Nicolds also posted his first collegiate double-double with 14 points and a career-high 12 boards in the Bethesda win (12/19).
* - Senior forward Hunter Schofield is looking like he is getting back in stride after scoring in double figures in two of his last three outings, highlighted by his fourth career (and first of the season) double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds last Saturday at UTRGV ... the senior, who missed most of fall camp due to injury, also poured in a season-high 14 points in the win at Denver (12/12), and had 11 points and five boards vs. New Mexico (1/13).
* - Schofield scored his 500th point in a Trailblazer uniform on an offensive put back with 1:17 left in the North Dakota win (12/2), and grabbed his 200th career rebound in the Bethesda win (12/19).
* -  Schofield is currently ranked third in DSU's NCAA era in career scoring average (14.7 ppg), seventh in career rebounding average (5.7 rpg) and eighth career FG% (.519).
* - Senior guard Dason Youngblood did something during the North Dakota win (12/2) that he had not done in his previous 57 games in a Trailblazer uniform - he fouled out of a game ... Youngblood battled foul trouble all night, but he did wind up with eight points on 4-of-7 shooting and three rebounds before drawing his fifth foul in the second half.
* - Fast forward to the win vs. SKU (12/5) three days later, during which Youngblood blocked a career-high three shots to go with seven points, four assists and two rebounds, all while NOT committing a personal foul ... Youngblood also tallied nine points and five dimes vs. Bethesda (12/19) ... the senior guard, who will look to return to action this weekend vs. GCU, played just three minutes at Gonzaga (12/29), against which he missed both shot attempts and registered one assist before leaving the game due to injury.    
* - Senior forward Jarod Greene continued to display his hot shooting touch as he poured 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting at Gonzaga (12/29) ... Greene also tallied 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting last Saturday at UTRGV ... Greene (25-of-44, .568 FG% - T-4th in the WAC) opened the season by hitting all four shots he took (3-3 FG/1-1 FT) for seven points to go with five boards in his start vs. UND (12/2), and went 6-of-8 from the floor for 12 points and pulled down a career-high nine caroms vs. Saint Katherine (12/5).
* - DSU's bench has outscored its opponent reserves by a 221-205 margin (24.5-22.7 ppg) through its first nine games (5-of-9 games overall), though UTRGV's bench got the best of the Blazers in both games last weekend by near the same margin (G1, 32-18; G2, 31-18) ... last season DSU reserves outscored its opponents' reserves in 22 of 30 games played (748-571/24.9 ppg-19.0 ppg).
* - Freshman guard Andre Mulibea enjoyed his best overall game as a Trailblazer in the UNM loss (1/13), during which he paced four Blazer players in double figures with 15 points, 13 of which came after halftime ... the freshman hit on 6-of-12 from the floor, including a 3-of-3 clip from beyond the arc in the closing minutes.
* - Sophomore guard Isaiah Pope has made an immediate impact since becoming eligible prior to the SUU game (12/17) ... Pope has averaged 9.0 points on an even 50.0 percent shooting in five games, highlighted by a 14-point night on 6-of-8 from the floor vs. Bethesda (12/19).
* - Senior guard Jamar Ergas also enjoyed a breakout night vs. Bethesda (12/19) as he nailed back-to-back first half 3FGs and threw down a highlight reel alley-oop jam on his way to a career-high eight points.
* - Though junior guard Brock Gilbert did not score in the Gonzaga loss (12/29), he did dish out a DSU career-high nine assists to go with three caroms and a steal in nearly 30 minutes of game action.
* - Redshirt freshman forward Trevon Allfrey enjoyed his trip back to the Northwest as he hit 5-of-8 from the floor en route to a career-high 10 points off the bench at Gonzaga (12/29) ... Allfrey originally signed to play at WAC member Seattle U before transferring to Dixie State midway through last season.
* - Dating back to the 2016-17 season, Dixie State has had 64 of its last 122 games decided by nine points or less, including four of six games against D-I opponents this season.
* - DSU's 38-point margin of victory vs. Saint Katherine (12/5) was the fifth-largest in the program's NCAA era.
* - Since the 2016-17, Dixie State has shot 50 percent or better in 44 of its last 119 games overall.
* - DSU shot a season-high 63.2 percent vs. Bethesda (12/19) ... that performance broke a string of 66 games from the last time the Trailblazers shot at least 60 percent from the floor (60.0% vs. Holy Names - 2/19/18).
* - Dixie State shot a season-low 33.3 percent (22-of-66) vs. New Mexico (1/13) ... the Lobos also tied a DSU NCAA-era opponent record with 11 blocked shots ... that feat has happened three previous times, most recently nearly five years to the day (1/7/16) at Azusa Pacific ... DSU also had 11 shots blocked at Western Washington (12/28/06) and at home vs. BYU-Hawaii (1/24/08).
* - Dixie State dished out a season-high 25 assists on its 36 made field goals vs. Bethesda (12/19), including five dimes apiece for Youngblood and Staine.
* - Dixie State also recorded 22 assists on its 34 made field goals vs. SKU (12/5), including dimes on 10 of the Blazers' first 12 made shots, and had 17 assists on 24 FG makes at Gonzaga (12/29).
* - Dixie State finished with a season-high 28 turnovers in game one vs. UTRGV last Friday, which tied for the third-most in a single game in the program's NCAA era.
* - In addition, the DSU 49 points scored in the opener at UTRGV Friday tied for the fourth-fewest points in a game in the program's four-year era (L, 49-53 at CSU-Pueblo; 11/25/11) ... it was also the fewest scored since DSU tallied just 55 points in the 2016-17 season opener at UC San Diego (L, 55-62; 11/11/16).  
* - Uncharacteristically, Dixie State has lost the "Battle of the Boards" in six of its first nine games this season, though the Blazers did outrebound UTRGV in game two by a 42-37 count ... overall, the Blazers have outrebounded an opponent in 71 of its last 93 games dating back to the 2017-18 campaign.
* - DSU is 20-13 all-time in overtime games ... four of those 33 games have gone to double-overtime (2-2), the last was a 79-75 loss at Cal Poly Pomona (11/10/17) in the 2017-18 season opener.

ABOUT THE GRAND CANYON "LOPES": Grand Canyon comes to St. George this weekend riding a four-game winning streak, which includes a pair of WAC road wins at Tarleton State (75-72, 1/8/21; 59-48, 1/9/21), and pair of lopsided home victories over Bethesda College (121-62 and 98-47) last weekend in Phoenix.
    Bryce Drew (172-111 overall; Valparaiso, 1998) is in his first season as head coach at GCU, this after a three-year stint at Vanderbilt (2016-19), and five years at his alma mater Valparaiso (2011-16).
     Senior center Asbjorn Midtgaard (7-0) averages nearly a double-double for the Lopes at 14.9 points and 9.8 rebounds a game, and he enters the week as the NCAA leader in field goal percentage (.731). Senior post player Alessandro Lever (6-10) and sophomore guard Jovan Blacksher Jr. (5-11) also average double figures at 13.0 ppg and 11.7 ppg, while Blacksher Jr. is second in the WAC in assists at 5.7 apg.
    As a team, GCU is second in the WAC in scoring (80.9 ppg), and leads the conference in scoring defense (62.2 ppg), scoring margin (+18.7), field goal percentage (.528) and FG% defense (.371). The Lopes also average 6.6 3FGM and 40.9 rpg a contest.

UP NEXT: Dixie State heads back out on the road next weekend, Jan. 29-30, to face another former PacWest rival in California Baptist. Tip-off each night in Riverside is slated for 6 p.m. (PT).